<p>My school offer physics, but no AP physics. I have already taken Calculus B/C. Is it possible to self-study Physics B? How much time would it take? Is it possible to self-study Physics C as a first physics class? How much time would it take?</p>
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<p>I took Physics as a sophomore, and I'm planning to transfer to another school in junior year. In the new school, only Physics Honor is offered. My plan is to self-study AP Physics C: Mech. and E&M, while attending Physics Honor.</p>
<p>In your case, I think it is highly possible to self-study AP Physics B in the first Physics year, but not AP Physics C. My advice is for you to exert extra efforts to cover all the areas of AP Physics B by an organized planning. I'm saying this because my Physics class covered only upto the beginning of E&M. I did't even learn Ohm's law, inductance, capacitance, and etc. at all.</p>
<p>Good luck!!</p>
<p>
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My plan is to self-study AP Physics C: Mech. and E&M, while attending Physics Honor.
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Uh, you're pretty much screwed. Unless, you're one of those kids that don't need to eat a lot or sleep a lot to survive. AP Physics will eat your brain out.</p>
<p>depends on the level of intensity of your school's honors physics course. compared to your other ap classes, are your honors pretty much the same level or alot easier? And compare the textbook you're using for honors with the recommended ap textbooks on collegeboard.com. It is pretty hard to self study physics, especially C, without taking the class unless you have extremely good study habits and are really good with concepts. Even then, I find that when you self-study something that is way beyond your level, its hard to learn teh subject well. Physics C mech AP in my opinion is not that hard..it's not that different from the mechanics you learn from physics B except for the rotational mechanics section and some simple derivatives. I haven't taking EM but I heard its harder.</p>
<p>are there separate AP exams for C & B? or is it combined? i`m quite confused.</p>
<p>There are 3 AP physics exams: B (introductory college physics, broader curriculum w/o calculus), C mechanics (focused on mechanics with calc), and C electricity and Magnetism (EM with calc). The C mech and C electricity can be taken together for the price of one test because each is half the length of the normal ap test, but you can also take them seperately. you have to pay for each one though.</p>
<p>Math Fun, since you've taken Calculus BC then u can go for Physics C. Agreed that the questions can be a little difficult but if ur math skills are gud u'll be able to handle it. Secondly there are fewer no. of topics to deal with in Phys C as compared to B which covers a wide variety of topics.</p>
<p>I have a relevant dilemma. I will be in a regular, non honors, nonAP physics class next year, senior year. I will also be taking AP calc AB. I want to self study AP physics because the physics class will literally be a joke.</p>
<p>I was considering taking just AP Physics C, Mechanics portion, because it is not as expansive as B but not as difficult as E&M. I am good at math and science (800 SAT I Math, 760 SAT II IIC, retook IIC and took chem SAT II).
What is an advisable course of action?</p>
<p>if anyone wants "5 steps to a 5 " for physics AP B/C plz let me know I am selling. Its like brand new - never used because it was senior year and i guess i slacked off</p>
<p>PM me</p>
<p>oh yea its completely possible to self study AP if you have had a physics class before ( joke or no joke ). Just start early ( decemeber)</p>
<p>Even kids who take AP Physics usually have trouble with the SAT-II Physics test, because there's not enough time to get to the more advanced material. You can nail it if you self study and get some coaching (my daughter spent many study halls with a physics teacher willing to help her. She also did a lot of work on her own.)</p>
<p>unless you are a math-science genius - </p>
<p>as in not one of those people who have to study science, but one of those people who might not have the best grades in the science classes but absolutely lives and loves science - </p>
<p>i.e. a person at my school went 800 SAT II Physics and 5 AP Physics C, but he got a C+ in the class. How did it happen? Didn't do the homework. Instead, every day when he went home, he experimented with stuff. Labs. Read tons of science stuff. Knows tons of random crap that really isn't useful - except on these tests. Once, he synthesized Chlorine gas from Bleach and brought it to school. Yes, very weird (my Calc teacher made him put it in his locker). So unless you live and breathe science - if you are one of those people who actually need to study to get As on tests - then Physics C will be hard. </p>
<p>Physics itself is a unique science; you either get it or you don't. Its not about knowing the equations or memorization - in fact my teacher allows you to bring a sheet of notes every test - its about whether you have the 'physics intution' and 'get it' so that you know WHICH equation to use. That's why its extremely hard to study for AP Physics C, unless you have this amazing innate Physics talent. In this manner, Physics is also very hard to 'teach'. </p>
<p>ashernm: I'd advise going for B, but that's just me. I took C: Mechanics this year, and although there is quite a bit of math involved (there was a differential equation this year, and there are lots of derivative/integral relationships involved) most of it is simple Algebra 2 level stuff. Like I said before, its less about whether you know how to do the integral/derivative or know the equation, and more about knowing what equation to use in what time. I.e. I can do differential equations, but without knowing what equation to use in X situation, I still can't do the question. Physics is all about set-up; if you can set it up right, the math is easy. B is more history/survey related, so even though its more broad, the material is easier (less depth). </p>
<p>Also: AP exam is very very heavily curved for this reason. Its about 60%+ is 5. and maybe 35-50% is a 4. Maybe even more generous. I forgot.</p>
<p>Truthfully, it does not matter much what I get, because next year is 12th grade. I want to take it to get a feel for college level physics, and will try hard (senioritis permitting) to study for it.</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice. It's still hard for me to choose, because on the one hand B is more material, and I don't know if I will have the discipline to teach myself everything, while C is less material but more difficult.</p>
<p>i took Honors Physics class and i took AP Physics B and got 4.. .. if you are good at grabbing concepts(i didnt think problems are anything beyond concepts and simple applications), you will do great.</p>
<p>Also if you gonna be a senior next year, i'd stick with B because it's more general physics (you will learn very broad stuffs) and you can get feels of each stuffs and perhaps find which stuffs really interests you and perhaps find what you wanna do.. (kinda long and stupid sentence)
you can always do (and i think that's better than selfstudying) an advanced physics in colleges. and esp if you gonna be a engineering major</p>
<p>i have physics AP and SAT 2 books and willing to hand down to peers who wanna do it.
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=71470%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=71470</a>
or PM me what kinda stufs you want :D</p>
<p>r u guys serious..i suppose u can do it...is it smart to self teach uhh NO! lol the chances of u getting a 3+ on the AP that way r similar to ur chances of being president. i took AP Physics B, hardest course of my HS experience</p>
<p>I actually am an intended engineering major. It's kind of a quagmire: I wouldnt get credit for AP B, but then again I wouldnt really trust myself to know the material covered by AP Physics C, so I would end up not using the credit either way probably. If I don't make a solid decision, I'll just go to some textbook store (brick and mortar) and check out textbooks for each class and decide from that. Thanks for responses.</p>
<p>ashernm, that's exactly what i thought. AP B would be still good for an admission. esp when you selfstudy it and get a passing grade. it's still good for your 'education' because it covers broader physics and give you kinda overview of everything and a good starting point(foundation?!)</p>
<p>so.. as far as selfstudying goes, i'd recommend B. (however, if you can get some teacher to teach C courses or community college courses, i gues that's a different story)</p>
<p>Yea, I guess its smarter to go with B, to solidify my nonexistent physics background (and I'm an intended mechanical engineering major, quite ironic), because I have not taken nor had the chance to take physics classes in HS. Thanks for the advice. What book do you suggest?</p>
<p>Texts: Giancoli for Phys B, Tipler for Phys C.</p>
<p>Well it's definitely possible.</p>
<p>In 9th grade I took a course Physics Honors 9, along with about 20 other kids in my grade. It was supposed to cover everything on the New York State Regents, and then a little bit more. However, my teacher, who was very good by the way, taught us the same curriculum and gave us pretty much the same tests as his AP Physics B class. About halfway through the year, he thought that some of us should try taking the AP test. So, about 1/3 of the class, including me, decided to take the AP. I'm really happy that I did. There were a few additional topics that I had to self-study but nothing major. My teacher also helped us out and had review sessions to help us learn the new topics. In the end, I got a 5 on the exam and most of my classmates did well also. So yes, taking the AP while in an honors course could work out.</p>